The Sacramento State women’s softball team could not sustain a big lead against Colorado State University on Friday as it lost 8-6 at Shea Stadium.

The loss drops Sac State’s record to 6-17, while Colorado State improves to 18-8 overall.

Hornet starter Shelby Voelz earns the loss in the game, moving her record to 3-10 on the season. Rams starter Kelli Eubanks earned her 14th win of the season, bringing her record to 14-5 in the early season.

The Hornets had a 6-3 lead heading into the seventh inning. However, it was then that the wheels came off for Sac State. In the inning, the Rams scored five runs to take the lead 8-6.

“It was really intense in the beginning, ” Hornets’ designated player Erin Jones said. “The team really had a lot of energy in the beginning, did a good job hitting the ball and getting people on and scoring six runs.”

When the Rams scored the five runs in the top of seventh inning, she said the teams confidence dropped.

“You could totally see momentum change,” Jones said. “The dugout got quieter. People on the field got quieter as they scored more and more runs. You could literally see everyone’s confidence go downhill.”

Emotional leader and one of three team captains, Janice Bartee, could be seen at the end of the game giving her fellow teammates a pep talk.

“We need to get excited for our teammates, when someone hits a single and keeps the rally going,” Bartee said. “We need to keep coming out for each inning with confidence and drawing that energy from each other.”

She also said she feels the team has all the potential to win.

“Those times that we have the energy, it’s from one extra person that it usually is,” Bartee said. “We really just need to have consistency and I believe in these girls and that is why I care so much.”

Head coach Kathy Strahan echoed the frustrations felt by her team captain, as there is a need for more leadership.

“With two starters out for a while we need more individuals to step up and take leadership roles,” Strahan said. “Right now since we are such a young team, we don’t have a lot of players that know how to do that.”

With Desiree Beltran out for the year with a leg injury and Meagan Schaefer out for a week due to concussion-like symptoms, Strahan will be relying on her young core group of players to step-up and lead.

“For the weekend tournament coming up, we are going to need to rely on our young starters on offence and defense.” Strahan said. “Voelz and Jacquelyn Serrano are going to have to step-up and help lead the team along with rest of the team.”

Sac State will host a three-day tournament, the Capital City Classic, on Friday at Shea Stadium. Its first game will be at 1 p.m. versus Utah State University, with the second game a rematch against Colorado State at 3 p.m.

Matt Harrington can be reached at [email protected]